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Historical 
Sketch « 

Missions  In 

UNDER  THE  CARE 

OF  THE 

Board  of 

Foreign  Missions 
of  the 

Presbyterian 

Church 

iwexico  and 

Guatemala 

Tiftb  Edition 

/ 

CREVISCO  ) 

Woman’s  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  of  the 

/ 

Presbyterian  Church, 
Witherspoon  Building, 
Philadelphia  t  t  1904 

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UNDER  THE  CARE 

OF  THE 

Board  of 

Foreign  Missions 
of  the 

Presbyterian 

Church 

Historical 
Sketch  "k 

Missions  In 
Mexico  and 
Guatemala 

T ifth  Edition 

(  R  evi  seoi 

Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary  Society  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church, 
Witherspoon  Building, 
Philadelphia  :  :  1904 

MEXICO. 


Mexico  and  Peru  dispute  the  first  place  of 
The  Country  romantic  interest  in  the  early  history  of  the 
New  World.  They  were  the  centres  and  rep¬ 
resentatives  on  the  northern  and  southern  continents  of  the 
highest  native  development  in  civilization  and  power.  The 
land  and  its  native  inhabitants  are  still  essentially  what  they 
were  at  the  time  of  the  Conquest ;  yet  the  student,  conver¬ 
sant  with  history,  cannot  but  lament  the  cruel  deception 
practised  upon  the  worshippers  of  the  fair  god  Quetzalcoatl 
when  they  took  the  pale-faced  Spaniard  for  the  promised 
saviour,  and  let  a  Catholic  Inquisition  replace  their  ancient 
rites.  What  have  three  centuries  of  Spanish  rule  and 
Romanism  done  for  Mexico  ?  There  are  millions  of  men 
and  women  in  Mexico,  of  Indian  blood,  for  whose  present 
degradation  and  ignorance  the  Catholic  Church  is  mainly 
responsible. 

Mexico  is  at  our  very  doors.  We  are  in  daily  inter¬ 
course  with  our  southern  neighbor.  The  country  is  no 
longer  isolated  and  unknown.  The  completion  of  the  great 
trunk  lines  of  railroad  which  cross  the  border  at  El  Paso, 
Eagle  Pass  and  Laredo,  together  with  the  improved  steam¬ 
ship  transit  between  New  York  and  the  ports  of  Tampico 
and  Vera  Cruz  has  already  made  of  this  sunny  southland  a 
popular  winter  resort  for  American  tourists.  A  host  of 
writers  keep  constantly  before  our  minds  the  community  of 
interest,  social  and  political,  which  unite  to  us,  for  weal  or 
woe,  the  destinies  of  our  sister  republic. 

The  changes  wrought  in  Mexico  during  the  last  two  dec¬ 
ades  are  little  short  of  marvelous.  The  railway,  telegraph, 
telephone  and  other  modern  appliances  are  now  almost  as 
well  known  as  north  of  the  Rio  Grande.  Mexico  is  fast 
rising  to  her  rightful  position  among  the  nations  of  the  New 
World.  This  time  of  progress  and  transition  is  the  supreme 
opportunity  in  which  to  introduce  evangelical  Christianity. 
Upon  the  Christian  people  of  the  United  States,  more  than 
upon  any  others,  rests  this  privilege  and  duty.  Much  has 
been  done  ;  much  remains  to  do. 

Mexico’s  pyramidal  base,  some  1800  miles  in  length,  forms 
the  southern  boundary  of  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona, 
and  California.  Its  extreme  length  is  2000  miles  ;  and  its 

(3) 


4 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


greatest  breadth,  noo.  Its  area  is  767,000  square  miles, 
which  would  contain  France  four  times,  New  England 
eleven  times,  or  New  York,  sixteen  times.  It  is  as  wonder¬ 
ful  in  its  variety  of  configuration  and  climate  as  in  its  re¬ 
sources  and  products.  Altitude,  rather  than  latitude, 
determines  temperature,  as  the  whole  country  lies  within  or 
near  the  tropics.  The  lowlands  along  the  coast  and  in 
some  part-,  of  the  interior,  form  the  tierra  caliente ,  which  is 
hot  the  year  around.  The  higher  mountain  slopes  and  up¬ 
lands  constitute  the  tierra  fria ,  or  cold  country  ;  while  the 
great  central  plateaus,  from  four  to  eight  thousand  feet 
above  sea  level,  form  the  temperate  zone  or  tierra  templada 
where,  except  for  a  few  weeks  in  winter,  the  climate  is  mild 
and  spring-like.  Instead  of  summer  and  winter,  we  can  say 
with  more  propriety  that  the  year  is  divided  into  a  wet  and 
dry  season,  in  the  latter  of  which  rain  rarely  falls.  The 
land  is  traversed  by  lofty  mountain  ranges,  which  overlook 
wide  valleys  capable  of  great  productiveness  wherever  suffi¬ 
ciently  watered  by  the  natural  rainfall  or  by  an  adequate 
system  of  irrigation. 

A  days  journey  from  the  hot  lands  to  the  mountains  in¬ 
cludes  a  range  of  temperature  and  products  comprehended 
by  the  latitude  between  Cuba  and  Vermont.  The  flora  is 
magnificent  and  immensely  varied.  Mexico  is  also  an  agri¬ 
cultural  cosmos. 

Coffee  is  a  chief  export ;  large  sums  of  foreign  capital 
are  invested  in  its  production.  The  manufacture  of  sugar 
is  also  a  leading  industry.  Cotton  can  be  grown.  Havana 
is  glad  to  put  its  brands  upon  Mexican  tobacco.  Rice, 
indigo,  cacao,  vanilla  and  other  tropical  products  flourish  in 
the  lowlands,  while  within  a  hundred  miles  the  uplands 
produce  bounteous  harvests  of  corn  and  wheat.  The  fruits 
and  vegetables  of  temperate  and  tropical  climes  abound. 
All  the  animals  of  these  zones  are  also  found  in  Mexico. 
Extensive  tracts  of  land  are  adapted  to  grazing.  The  west¬ 
ern  coast  has  pearl  fisheries.  Vast  hennequin  plantations 
constitute  the  chief  wealth  of  the  hot  plains  of  Yucatan. 
Precious  woods  abound  in  the  tropical  forests. 

Mexico  is  famous  for  its  supply  of  the  precious  metals. 
Gold  is  found  in  considerable  abundance,  and  silver,  the 
present  coinage  of  the  country,  in  enormous  quantities. 
Several  large  smelters  have  been  erected  for  the  reduction  of 
the  ore.  Iron  and  other  metals  are  abundant.  There  are 
local  deposits  of  coal  and  quarries  of  fine  stone.  Im¬ 
proved  machinery  and  implements  of  agriculture  are  being 
slowly  but  surely  introduced.  A  great  future  awaits  the 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


5 


country  when  forge  and  mill  and  modern  appliances  of 
every  kind  shall  have  superseded  petty  industries  and  hand 
labor. 

While  by  no  means  the  foremost  argument  for  the  Church 
to  act,  and  that  at  once,  the  great  resources  and  vast  poten¬ 
tial  wealth  of  Mexico  are  a  powerful  incentive  to  energetic 
effort  on  our  part.  With  a  coast  line  of  six  thousand  miles, 
Mexico  has  few  rivers  navigable  for  any  distance  into  the  in¬ 
terior,  and  but  few  good  harbors.  The  railroads  will  be  her 
great  lines  of  traffic  ;  and  these  connect  most  naturally  with 
those  of  the  United  States.  We  should  be  her  first  and 
chief  market.  Already  the  sagacity  of  our  capital  is  peering 
thither.  Large  sums  are  being  invested  in  railways  which 
quicken  production  and  give  it  ample  outlet.  If  engineer¬ 
ing  can  level  mountains  and  span  chasms  that  seemed  a  fixed 
barrier.,  chiseling  all  impediments  to  the  level  of  its  pur¬ 
pose.  shall  the  pioneers  of  the  gospel,  with  all  its  guaran¬ 
ties  of  civilization,  purity  and  personal  dignity  before  God, 
be  less  ardent,  resolute  and  successful  ? 

Mexico  glories  in  the  history  of  her  native 
The  People  races.  The  story  of  her  ancient  heroes  rivals 
the  epics  of  Homer  and  of  Virgil.  Centuries 
before  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus  or  the  hardy 
Norsemen,  this  continent  was  inhabited  by  tribes  of  men 
more  or  less  civilized,  who  founded  veritable  empires  cover¬ 
ing  a  wide  extent  of  territory.  Mexico  was  the  theatre  for 
the  rise  and  fall  of  some  of  the  most  interesting  of  these 
kingdoms. 

Centuries  before  the  opening  of  the  Christian  era,  Asia 
and  Africa,  Egypt,  Phoenicia  and  the  Far  East,  had  some 
connection  with  the  civilization  that  grew  up  in  America. 
Ancient  documents,  which  many  believe  could  have  shed 
light  on  this  problem,  were  ruthlessly  destroyed  by  Bishop 
Zumarraga  and  his  equally  superstitious  confreres ,  because 
the  signs  and  pictures  on  the  “  abominable  scrolls  and  manu¬ 
scripts  ’’  made  by  the  Mexicans,  were  regarded  as  the 
“  embodiment  of  Satanic  art  and  witchery.” 

When  Mexico  first  became  known  to  Europe  the  Aztecs 
were  dominant  upon  the  central  tableland.  Beyond  their 
borders  were  other  tribes  and  nations  of  equal  renown.  The 
remains  of  Maya  civilization  are  among  the  most  remarkable 
in  Mexico.  The  Toltecs  were  famous  builders.  Ruins  of 
vast  extent  still  attest  the  greatness  and  magnificence  of 
these  ancient  races.  The  curious  traveller  climbs  the  pyra¬ 
mids  of  Cholula  and  Teotihuacan,  or  wanders  awestruck  amid 
the  ruins  of  cities  such  as  Uxmal,  Chichen,  Itza  and  Mitla. 


6 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


The  Aztecs,  like  the  Normans  in  England  and  the  Tartar 
dynasty  in  China,  adopted  many  elements  in  the  civilization 
they  overran.  Their  capital,  Mexico-Tenochtitlan,  the 
American  Venice,  was  erected  amid  the  waters  of  the  lake, 
on  the  spot  where  an  eagle  perched  upon  a  nopal  and  hold¬ 
ing  a  serpent  in  its  beak  was  first  descried,  This  symbol, 
still  stamped  upon  the  Mexican  banner,  is  significant  of  her 
whole  history.  The  eagle  shall  yet  destroy  the  serpent  ot 
evil.  We  have  not  space  to  tell  the  story  of  Aztec  conquest 
which  culminated  in  an  empire  that  extended  from  Zacatecas 
on  the  north  as  far  as  the  Gulf  and  the  heart  of  modern 
Central  America.  In  the  study  of  ancient  Mexican  civili¬ 
zation  we  are  reminded  now  of  Egypt,  now  of  France  ;  it  is 
marked  by  striking  contrasts.  There  was  a  fair  military 
organization,  a  chieftainship  superior  to  the  mere  tribal  type 
found  further  north,  a  code  of  laws  and  a  gradation  of  courts, 
a  noble  architecture  and  a  skill  in  many  arts  of  daily  life 
that  bespeaks  a  development  probably  equal  to  that  of  some 
parts  of  civilized  Asia.  Their  picture-writing  and  achieve¬ 
ments  in  poetry  and  prose,  together  with  their  numerical 
system  and  astronomical  calculations,  as  also  their  love  of 
flowers,  contrast  strangely  with  the  draconian  sentences 
visited  upon  slight  offences,  and  the  bloody  rites  and  canni¬ 
balistic  orgies  which  stained  their  religious  celebrations. 
The  huge,  hideous  images  that  crowd  the  National  Museum 
in  Mexico  City  tell  plainly  enough  the  story  of  their  idolatry. 
The  carefully  carved  Calendar  Stone  with  its  story  of  scien¬ 
tific  attainment  is  in  striking  contrast  with  the  huge  red 
block  of  porphyry  which  once  crowned  the  Teocalli  of 
Mexico,  in  front  of  the  shrine  of  the  cruel  war-god  Huitzi- 
lopotchli.  The  human  victim,  bedecked  with  flowers,  was 
stretched  upon  the  stone  of  sacrifice.  The  obsidian  knife 
was  plunged  into  his  breast.  The  still  palpitating  heart  was 
dragged  forth,  held  up  to  the  gaze  of  the  multitude,  and 
then  deposited  in  the  presence  of  the  hideous  idol.  The  body 
was  hurled  down  the  side  of  the  pyramid  to  be  eaten  in  some 
religious  orgy. 

The  ancient  Mexicans  seem  to  have  believed  in  one 
supreme  God  but  they  surrounded  him  by  a  host  of  deified 
human  impulses  and  passions.  Temples  were  numerous 
and  the  priestly  hierarchy  many  and  powerful.  Not  a  few 
of  the  idolatrous  superstitions  of  that  far-off  day  still  lurk 
among  the  so-called  Christian  beliefs  and  practices  of  Mexico. 
Roman  Catholicism,  after  more  than  three  and  a  half  cen¬ 
turies,  has  failed  to  eradicate  them.  It  now  devolves  on 
evangelical  Christianity  to  undertake  the  task.  Of  a  popu- 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


7 


lation  of  thirteen  millions,  perhaps  ten  millions  are  of  pure 
or  mixed  Indian  descent.  The  strength  and  hope  of  the  nation 
is  in  its  native  races.  Some  of  Mexico’s  greatest  men  have 
risen  from  the  ranks  of  the  Indians.  The  chief  lady  of 
honor  to  the  Empress  Carlotta  was  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Moctezuma.  One  of  the  principal  monuments  on  the  Paseo 
de  la  Reforma,  Mexico  City,  commemorates  the  undaunted 
heroism  of  the  last  Aztec  emperor,  Cuautemoc,  who,  when 
tortured  by  Cortez,  refused  to  reveal  the  hiding  place  of  the 
imperial  treasure.  The  great  reform  president,  Don  Benito 
Juarez,  is  known  as  the  “  Tittle  Indian.”  The  native  race 
has  a  strength  and  stability  of  character  which  sanctified  by 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  may  yet  add  no  insignificant  element  to 
the  progress  of  the  gospel  and  the  welfare  of  mankind  in 
the  New  World. 

The  history  of  Mexico  from  the  time  of  the 
Conquest  and  Conquest  is  a  tragic  drama.  Spain  and  the 
Conversion  to  Vatican  were  leagued  together  for  the  conquest 
Romanism  and  conversion  of  the  New  World.  The  Pope 

granted  to  Spain  unlimited  authority  over  the 
bodies  and  souls,  the  property  and  services  of  the  conquered 
nations  over  whom  she  should  unfurl  her  banner  in  the 
western  hemisphere. 

The  conquest  of  Mexico  by  Cortez  and  his  few  hundred 
followers  compels  our  admiration.  True,  they  were  greatly 
aided  by  the  brave  Tlascalans  and  the  disaffection  of  subject 
tribes  ;  but  even  thus  it  was  a  mighty  achievement  to  pene¬ 
trate  to  the  heart  of  a  kingdom  such  as  Moctezuma ’s,  to 
enter  the  capital  city  and  imprison  the  monarch  in  his 
palace.  A  handful  of  adventurers  sink  their  own  ships  to 
destroy  all  hope  of  retreat  and  march  to  the  subjugation  of 
a  nation  of  several  million  inhabitants.  There  is,  however, 
a  dark  side  to  the  picture.  The  heroes  of  this  enterprise 
were  animated  by  the  “cursed  lust  for  gold.”  Their 
supreme  object  was  to  enrich  themselves.  This  ignoble 
ambition  marred  the  whole  course  of  Spanish  rule  in  the 
New  World.  The  gold  and  silver  derived  from  Mexico 
alone  reached  in  three  centuries  the  enormous  sum  of 
^2,040,000,000  ;  or  an  annual  revenue  for  the  crown  of 
$34,000,000.  No  industry  or  commerce  was  allowed  that 
might  conflict  with  the  supposed  interests  of  the  mother 
country.  When  Hidalgo  attempted  to  introduce  among  his 
parishioners  the  culture  of  the  vine  and  the  manufacture  of 
silk,  the  agents  of  the  viceroy  cut  down  the  mulberry  trees 
and  uprooted  the  vines.  Small  wonder  that  such  a  policy 
alienated  and  embittered  the  Mexican  people.  The  late 


8 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


Hon.  Ignacio  Ramirez,  a  pure  Indian,  noted  for  his  elo¬ 
quence  and  erudition,  wrote  in  his  terrible  arraignment  of 
Spanish  misrule  :  “The  nobles  saw  in  the  middle  classes 
burden  bearers  and  in  the  Indian  but  an  animal.  It  mat¬ 
tered  not  in  Spain  whether  the  Indians  were  rational  beings 
or  mere  brutes,  freemen  or  slaves,  or  whether  they  were  pre¬ 
served  or  annihilated.”  He  adds  that  the  clergy  became 
the  Shylocks  of  Mexico  ;  they  governed  the  country  through 
the  lay  viceroys  ;  “the  Jesuits  were  their  secret  police,  the 
Inquisition  a  living  tomb.”  “They  raised  cathedrals  of 
mocking  splendor  and  built  great  convents  and  churchly 
retreats,  while  the  viceroys  built  jails,  mints  and  tax  offices. 
In  a  word  Spain  lost  her  colonies  because  she  cherished 
therein  only  the  tax  collectors,  priests  and  miners.” 

The  so-called  conversion  of  the  people  to  Christianity 
was  effected  in  a  way  equally  regardless  of  their  rights  as 
free,  rational  beings.  Islam  itself  never  did  better  work  at 
the  point  of  the  sword.  The  story  of  Cortez’s  first  efforts  at 
the  conversion  of  the  Indians  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  policy 
pursued.  The  conqueror  was  invited  to  Cempoala  as  a 
guest  of  the  cacique.  He  surrounded  the  heathen  temple 
with  a  cordon  of  soldiers.  The  natives  were  threatened 
with  death  if  they  interfered.  The  idols  were  hurled  from 
their  niches,  broken  in  pieces  and  burned.  The  walls  of 
the  pagan  shrine  were  whitened,  an  altar  was  erected  and 
the  image  of  Mary  was  placed  above  it,  and  introduced  to 
the  people  as  the  Mother  of  God.  This  style  of  conversion 
made  it  possible  for  a  single  priest  to  baptize  in  one  day  five 
thousand  converts.”  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  more 
than  four  millions  experienced  this  baptismal  regeneration. 
Practically  no  instruction  was  given  in  Christian  doctrine  ; 
old  superstitions  remained  in  full  force.  Humboldt  saw  the 
Indians  “perform  savage  dances  around  the  altar,  while  a 
monk  of  St.  Francis  elevated  the  host.”  Similar  scenes 
have  been  witnessed  in  recent  years  at  the  shrine  of  Guada¬ 
lupe.  The  Abbe  Domenech,  a  trusted  agent  of  Napoleon 
III,  in  Mexico,  wrote,  in  1867,  of  a  similar  dance  in  a  vil¬ 
lage  chapel  which  reminded  him  of  that  of  the  redskins. 
The  priest  defended  the  proceeding  on  the  ground  that  “the 
old  customs  (of  heathenism)  are  respectable  ;  it  is  well  to 
preserve  them,  only  taking  care  that  they  do  not  degenerate 
into  orgies.”  This  Roman  Catholic  writer  also  adds  that 
“it  would  require  volumes  to  relate  the  Indian  superstitions 
of  an  idolatrous  character  which  exist  to  this  day.  For 
want  of  serious  instruction  you  find  in  the  Catholicism  of 
the  Indians  numerous  remains  of  the  old  Aztec  paganism.” 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


9 


The  facts  justify  Dr.  Abbott’s  charge  that  “Christianity, 
instead  of  fulfilling  its  mission  of  enlightening,  converting 
and  sanctifying  the  natives,  was  itself  converted.  Paganism 
was  baptized ,  Christianity  was  paga?iized.  ’  ’  Here  and  there 
a  faithful  priest,  like  Las  Casas,  protested  in  vain  against 
the  futility  and  unworthiness  of  such  methods.  One  of  the 
best  examples  of  the  success  attained  by  this  style  of  pro¬ 
cedure  is  the  devotion  with  which  the  Indians  worship  at 
the  shrine  of  Guadalupe,  whose  temple  occupies  the  spot 
once  sacred  to  Tonantzin,  a  heathen  mother  of  the  gods. 

Cortez  conquered  Mexico  1519-1521.  Later  discoverers 
completed  his  work  until  the  dominion  of  New  Spain  ex¬ 
tended  from  Panama  on  the  south  to  the  northern  limit  of 
old  California.  The  government  was  carried  on  for  three 
hundred  years  under  viceroys,  sixty-four  in  number.  Queen 
Isabella  had  requested  in  her  will  that  the  Indians  to  be 
conquered  in  the  New  World  be  “  instructed  in  Catholic 
doctrine  ”  and  be  “  justly  and  well  treated.”  The  viceroys 
disregarded  this  humane  request.  The  Roman  Church, 
making  merchandise  of  her  seven  sacraments  and  the  power 
of  the  keys  in  most  shameless  fashion,  secured  through  her 
system  of  forced  gifts  and  mortgages  virtual  possession  of  a 
third  of  the  landed  estate  of  Mexico.  By  judicious  loans 
and  bribery,  her  ready  money  was  skilfully  employed  to 
hold  the  wealthier,  more  enlightened  class  in  check,  and  to 
overawe  or  overturn  any  government  that  showed  too  strong 
a  leaning  toward  liberty. 

For  the  subjugation  of  the  native  population,  which 
formed  the  productive,  laboring  class,  the  hacienda  system 
was  most  effective.  Immense  tracts  of  land,  together  with 
titles  of  nobility,  were  conferred  upon  Spaniards.  The 
resident  Indians  went  with  the  soil.  Millions  were  thus 
reduced  to  peonage,  another  name  for  slavery.  A  large 
fortified  structure,  the  hacienda ,  was  erected  in  the  centre  of 
the  estate  and  around  it  were  grouped  the  huts  of  the  labor¬ 
ers.  The  wages  were  fixed  by  the  hacendado  or  his  agent, 
at  about  thirty  cents  a  day.  Sundays  and  religious  holi¬ 
days  left  only  about  two  hundred  working  days  in  a  year. 
This  made  the  annual  wage  about  sixty  dollars,  out  of  which 
the  peon  had  to  clothe  and  feed  his  family,  meet  a  small 
tax,  probably  for  doctor  and  medicines,  and  pay  besides  the 
exorbitant  exactions  of  a  mercenary  priesthood.  ”  All  pur¬ 
chases  had  to  be  made  at  stores  kept  by  the  hacendado. 
Generally  a  church  was  erected  and  placed  under  the  care  of 
a  Spanish  priest.  In  other  cases  the  periodical  visits  of  a 
neighboring  priest  were  relied  upon.  “The  poorest  of  the 


IO 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


poor  were  obliged  to  pay  for  baptism,  confirmation,  the 
eucharist,  penance,  matrimony,  or  extreme  unction  a  sum 
equivalent  to  from  ten  to  fifteen  dollars  of  our  money.” 
This  was  paid  by  the  owner  and  charged  against  the  peon. 
If  the  laborer  got  in  debt  more  than  twenty  dollars  the  law 
forbade  him  to  leave  the  estate  without  a  written  permit. 
The  peon  thus  became  a  slave  and  was  at  times  even  branded 
with  his  master’s  initials.  Ignorant,  depressed,  degraded, 
the  Indian  of  Mexico  was  accounted  among  the  most  help¬ 
less  and  hopeless  of  the  human  race.  Even  to-day  but  a 
small  percentage  can  read  and  write.  The  Bible,  though 
widely  scattered  by  evangelical  agencies,  is  still  for  the 
masses  a  sealed  and  unknown  book.  Until  the  era  of  mod¬ 
ern  missions  (and  even  yet,  though  to  a  less  extent),  the 
priests,  the  religious  instructors  of  the  people,  were  a  dis¬ 
solute,  carousing,  gambling  set  of  men.  The  convents 
were  nests  of  licentious  idlers — their  god  their  belly.  Under 
the  extortionate  demands  of  the  priests  marriage  had  been 
largely  superseded  by  concubinage.  The  name  of  Jesus 
became  a  synonym  for  Jesuitry  ;  the  gospel  had  become  gall. 
The  moral  reaction  against  this  awful  perversion  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  was  bound  to  come  ;  when  it  began  men  flew  to  the 
opposite  extreme.  The  intelligent  fewr  who  guided  the  des¬ 
tinies  of  the  new  republic,  with  some  notable  exceptions, 
took  refuge  in  indifference  or  infidelity — at  times  in  prac¬ 
tical  atheism.  This  page  in  Mexico’s  history  is  a  terrible 
testimony  to  the  nature  of  Rome’s  handiwork  when  allowed 
to  labor  unmolested. 

Three  centuries  of  Roman  Catholic  foreign 
Independence  rule  destroyed  the  ancient  civilization  of 

Mexico,  with  many  of  its  memorials  ;  op¬ 
pressed,  debased  and  impoverished  the  people  ;  left  the  coun¬ 
try  without  adequate  means  of  communication,  the  people 
untrained  in  the  arts,  dead  to  enterprise,  ignorant  of  their 
own  vast  resources.  The  history  of  their  awakening  from 
the  lethargy  of  generations,  their  heroic  struggle,  their 
wonderful  success,  their  present  prosperity,  forms  one  of  the 
most  inspiring  dramas  in  human  achievement.  We  are  led 
to  exclaim,  “What  hath  God  wrought!” 

When  Napoleon  broke  the  sceptre  of  Castile  in  1808, 
Mexico  began  to  breathe.  The  first  blow  for  independence 
was  struck  by  a  priest,  an  old  man  sixty  years  of  age,  Don 
Miguel  Hidalgo  y  Costilla.  He  is  called  the  Washington 
of  Mexico.  “  His  heart  was  kind  and  sympathetic,  his 
manner  soft  and  winning  ;  his  voice  sonorous  and  vibrating  ; 
his  deportment  natural  and  attractive.  The  clear,  brilliant 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO  1 1 

black  eyes  betrayed  the  activity  of  the  mind,  and  through 
them  shone  the  light  from  the  burning  fires  within.”  On 
Saturday  night,  September  15,  1810,  at  the  town  of  Dol¬ 
ores,  in  the  State  of  Guanajuato,  Hidalgo  gathered  a  little 
company  about  him  and  raised  the  Grilo,  or  cry  for  inde¬ 
pendence.  At  day-dawn  Sunday  morning,  the  parish 
church  bell,  which  now  hangs  in  front  of  the  National 
Palace,  Mexico  City,  was  rung  for  the  first  time  in  behalf  of 
liberty.  Hidalgo’s  followers  increased  rapidly  as  he  marched 
southward,  until  from  the  summit  of  Las  Cruces  he  looked 
down  upon  Mexico  City,  with  not  exactly  an  army,  but  a 
horde  of  one  hundred  thousand  men,  women  and  children. 
They  were  poorly  armed  and  undisciplined.  The  capital 
was  strongly  fortified  and  garrisoned  by  the  best  troops  of 
New  Spain.  Hidalgo  turned  back,  was  pursued,  betrayed 
and  finally  shot  on  the  31st  of  July,  1811.  The  cause  did 
not  die  with  him.  Other  leaders  rose  to  carry  on  the 
struggle.  Morelos,  also  a  priest,  made  himself  famous  by 
his  masterly  campaigns.  In  1815  he  too  was  executed,  but 
not  until  a  national  Congress  had  gathered  in  Chilpancingo 
and  made  a  formal  declaration  of  independence.  Guerilla 
warfare  kept  patriotism  alive  until  in  r82i  a  liberator  was 
found  in  Iturbide.  Unfortunately  he  was  more  animated  by 
personal  ambition  than  by  patriotism.  He  had  himself  pro¬ 
claimed  emperor,  but  was  banished  and  finally  shot.  It  is 
not  our  purpose  to  follow  the  confusing  details  of  the 
struggle,  nor  the  wars  with  Texas  and  the  United  States 
which  deprived  Mexico  of  the  northern  portion  of  her  terri¬ 
tory.  The  iniquity  of  this  latter  war  and  of  the  hidden 
purpose  which  animated  it  have  been  often  dwelt  upon. 
God,  however,  overruled  it  all  for  good.  The  whole  vast 
region  ceded  to  the  United  States  has  been  thrown  open  to 
liberty,  enlightenment  and  evangelical  Christianity. 

After  the  American  war  Santa  Anna  again  came  into 
power,  and  proclaimed  himself  permanent  dictator.  A 
ready  tool  in  the  hands  of  the  clerical  party,  he  recalled  the 
Jesuits  and  began  negotiations  in  Europe  for  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  a  monarchy  in  Mexico.  His  expulsion  from  power 
inaugurated  a  new  epoch.  The  Mexican  struggle  for  inde¬ 
pendence  was  immeasurably  harder  than  our  own.  The 
masses  were  debased  by  poverty  and  ignorance,  without 
schools  or  literature,  and  above  all,  without  the  Bible.  The 
landed  aristocracy  and  the  Church  were  in  league  against 
the  reformers.  The  liberal  leaders  often  had  no  suitable 
arms  nor  ammunition  till  they  were  won  on  the  field  of 
battle.  As  if  all  this  were  not  enough,  Pope  Pius  IX.  and 


12 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


Napoleon  III.  entered  into  a  compact  or  conspiracy  which 
contemplated  not  merely  the  humiliation  of  Mexico  under 
a  foreign  sovereign,  but  also  the  final  entire  subjugation  of 
the  whole  American  continent  under  the  Papal  See.  The 
Monroe  doctrine  was  to  be  reduced  to  a  dead  letter,  the 
influence  of  Protestant  America  was  to  be  nullified  and 
Romanism  was  to  reign  supreme  in  the  western  Hemisphere. 
Against  such  odds  the  liberals  of  Mexico  had  to  contend. 
They  were  not  free  of  course  from  personal  ambition  and  a 
desire  to  enrich  themselves  with  the  spoils  taken  from  the 
clergy ;  but  after  all  due  allowance  has  been  made  the 
grandeur  of  their  triumph  is  worthy  of  highest  praise. 

In  the  last  act  in  the  drama  of  Mexico’s  struggle  for 
liberty  the  principal  hero  is  Don  Benito  Juarez.  He  is  the 
Mexican  Lincoln  ;  the  typical  representative  of  the  best  ele¬ 
ment  in  the  native  race.  Not  a  drop  of  Spanish  blood 
flowed  in  his  veins.  He  was  born  in  1806  in  an  Indian 
village  near  Oaxaca.  Till  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  was 
unable  to  speak  the  Spanish  language.  He  began  life  in 
Oaxaca  as  errand  boy  in  a  lawyer’s  office,  He  rose  to  a 
high  position  at  the  bar,  became  governor  of  Oaxaca,  a 
deputy  to  the  National  Congress  of  1846,  a  member  of  the 
Mexican  cabinet,  President  of  the  republic,  “  the  saviour  of 
the  honor  of  his  country.”  Exiled  by  Santa  Anna,  he 
supported  himself  for  two  years  in  New  Orleans  ‘  ‘  twisting 
cigars.”  In  connection  with  Alvarez,  and  later  with 
Comonfort,  Juarez  took  an  important  part  in  the  preparation 
of  the  Constitution  of  1857,  and  in  1859,  when  himself 
President,  first  issued  his  celebrated  Laws  of  Reform, 

It  was  then  that  the  danger  from  abroad  began  to  darken 
the  Mexican  horizon.  About  eighty-two  million  dollars  of 
the  national  debt  was  held  abroad,  mainly  in  England  and 
Spain,  and  less  than  three  millions  by  French  capitalists. 
Napoleon  III.,  with  the  co-operation  of  England  and  Spain, 
undertook  to  enforce  these  claims  and  sent  an  escort  of 
seven  thousand  soldiers  to  “protect”  his  agents.  Later, 
after  England  and  Spain  had  withdrawn,  the  French  marched 
on  the  capital  and  Juarez  was  driven  to  El  Paso.  The  crown 
of  Mexico  was  offered  to  the  Archduke  Maximilian  of 
Austria  and  accepted.  The  Pope  assured  him  of  an  enthu¬ 
siastic  greeting  from  the  Mexican  people.  Motley  wrote  : 
“  We  have  nothing  green  here  (in  Austria)  but  the  Arch¬ 
duke  Maximilian,  who  firmly  believes  that  he  is  going  forth 
to  Mexico  to  establish  an  American  empire  and  that  it  is  his 
divine  commission  to  destroy  the  dragon  of  democracy  and 
re-establish  the  true  Church.  Poor  young  man!”  For  a 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


13 

few  troublous  years,  1864-1867,  Maximilian  did  exercise  a 
precarious  authority  in  Mexico,  backed  by  foreign  bayonets. 
When  our  own  Civil  War  ended,  Mr.  Seward  intimated  to 
Napoleon  that  the  French  troops  must  be  withdrawn  from 
Mexico,  and  Maximilian,  left  alone,  was  defeated,  taken 
prisoner  and  shot,  in  1867,  in  spite  of  the  appeals  in  his 
behalf  from  Austria,  France,  England  and  the  United  States. 
Juarez  expressed  the  popular  opinion  when  he  said  :  “Allow 
him  to  go  now  and  there  is  no  knowing  what  the  pope  and 
some  European  power  might  contrive  in  the  future.  No  ; 
the  lesson  has  been  a  dear  one  for  us  and  we  must  now  teach 
a  corresponding  one  to  Pius  IX.,  Napoleon,  and  all  the 
world.” 

After  ten  years  of  hard  struggle,  during  which  he  had 
carried  the  republic  in  his  head  and  heart,  Juarez  again  came 
into  the  full  possession  of  power,  and  labored  to  restore  to 
order  his  distracted  country.  Fte  re-enforced  the  Constitu¬ 
tion  of  1857  and  the  Eaws  of  Reform  ;  and  Mexico,  triumph¬ 
ant  over  her  foes  from  without  and  from  within,  entered  at 
last  upon  her  modern  career  of  progress  and  prosperity. 
The  Constitution  secured  the  abolition  of  slavery  and  the 
freedom  of  religion  and  the  Press  ;  the  subordination  of 
the  army  to  the  civil  power  ;  the  abolition  of  military  and 
ecclesiastical  fiieros  or  special  tribunals  ;  the  negotiation  ot 
commercial  treaties  ;  the  opening  of  the  country  to  immigra¬ 
tion  and  foreign  enterprise  ;  and  also  the  nationalization  of  all 
church  property,  variously  estimated  at  from  $200,000,000 
to  $300,000,000.  The  Raws  of  Reform  enacted  the  absolute 
separation  of  Church  and  State,  while  guaranteeing  the  free 
exercise  of  religious  services  (these  to  be  always  public) ; 
political  recognition  of  all  church  holidays  except  the  Sab¬ 
bath  was  abolished.  Clerical  vestments,  religious  proces¬ 
sions  and  worship  were  forbidden  on  the  streets.  The 
Sisters  of  Charity  were  disbanded,  monastic  orders  were 
forbidden  and  the  Jesuits  were  expelled.  Marriage  was 
made  a  civil  contract ;  and  gifts  to  religious  institutions  were 
declared  unlawful,  except  for  exclusively  religious  purposes 
No  doubt  some  who  advocated  these  measures  were  animated 
by  a  desire  to  enrich  themselves  at  the  expense  of  the  clergy. 
There  was,  however,  a  grander  principle  involved.  The 
liberals  justified  their  course  by  the  statement  that  most  of 
the  property  held  by  the  Church  had  been  wrung  from  the 
people  by  deception  and  other  unjust  means  ;  of  this  the 
proof  is  ample.  A  sufficient  number  of  church  buildings 
were  set  apart  for  Roman  Catholic  worship.  The  leases  run 
for  ninety-nine  years,  but  the  State  is  the  real  owner.  This 


H 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


was  made  strikingly  manifest,  when  Governor  Baz  on  one 
occasion  rode  into  the  Cathedral,  Mexico  City,  at  the  head 
of  his  mounted  police,  arrested  the  bishop  who  was  denounc¬ 
ing  the  Reform  Laws,  turned  out  the  audience  and  locked 
the  doors  of  the  church.  There  is,  however,  at  present  no 
real  persecution  of  the  clergy.  Minor  violations  of  the  law 
are  constantly  winked  at,  the  clergy  are  again  making  osten¬ 
tatious  display  of  their  wealth  and  renovating  the  churches 
in  their  possession.  Romanism  seems  to  be  growing  in 
popularity  among  the  wealthy  classes  ;  but  the  strength  of 
her  political  control  is  broken,  and  if  the  liberals  are  ordi¬ 
narily  vigilant  the  clergy  will  never  again  be  all  powerful  in 
Mexico. 

Since  1876,  with  the  single  exception  of  Gen.  Gonzalez’ 
term  of  four  years,  Gen.  Porfirio  Diaz  has  held  the  supreme 
magistracy.  He  has  gathered  about  him  many  able  men. 
The  country  has  enjoyed  peace  and  a  stable  government. 
The  population  is  steadily  increasing  and  now  numbers  over 
thirteen  millions.  Mexico  City  has  330,000  inhabitants. 
Mexico  is  a  republic  comprising  27  states,  2  territories,  and 
the  Federal  District.  Her  political  system  is  chiefly  bor¬ 
rowed  from  our  own  and  is  nearly  its  counterpart.  The 
president  is  elected  for  four  years  ;  the  senators  for  four,  and 
the  deputies  for  a  term  of  two  years.  The  chief  justice, 
elected  for  six  years,  is  ex-ojficio  vice-president.  Each  state 
has  its  local  constitution,  with  elective  governor  and  legis¬ 
lature.  The  navy  is  insignificant,  but  the  army  is  efficient 
and  about  the  size  of  our  own.  Interstate  duties  have 
at  last  been  abolished.  I11  1867  there  were  less  than  one 
hundred  miles  of  railroad,  now  (1904)  there  are  nearly 
ten  thousand.  From  Mexico  City  there  are  two  trunk 
lines  to  the  frontier  and  a  third  from  Durango  ;  two  lines 
from  the  capital  to  Vera  Cruz  ;  Tampico  is  connected  by  rail 
with  San  Luis  Potosi  and  Monterey.  A  line  is  in  construc¬ 
tion  from  Mexico  City  to  Acapulco.  Nearly  all  the  state 
capitals  can  be  reached  by  rail  or  fast  steamers.  There  are 
over  43,000  miles  of  telegraph,  many  telephone  lines  and  all 
the  chief  cities  are  lighted  by  electricity.  The  banking 
facilities  have  grown  greatly,  the  revenue  from  all  sources 
has  notably  and  steadily  increased.  Mexico’s  credit  is  good 
at  home  and  abroad.  Immigrants  and  foreign  capital  are 
entering  the  country.  Mines,  coffee  lands  and  other  indus¬ 
tries  are  attracting  attention.  Primary  education  is  compul¬ 
sory,  though  the  law  is  not  always  enforced,  and  outside  of 
the  larger  cities  the  schools  are  often  unsatisfactory.  Several 
million  dollars  are  spent  annually  out  of  the  public  revenue 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


15 


for  education,  methods  and  appliances  are  steadily  improving 
and  many  of  the  higher  grade  schools  are  worthy  of  com¬ 
mendation. 

Directly  by  her  missions,  and  in  countless  indirect  ways, 
evangelical  Christianity  has  played  an  important  part  in  this 
transformation  of  Mexico.  Our  work,  however,  has  but 
just  begun.  We  have  much  to  contend  against.  On  one 
side  Romanism,  on  the  other  infidelity,  oppose  our  advance. 
The  priests  denounce  us  as  political  agents  who  secretly 
work  for  annexation  to  the  United  States.  There  is,  how¬ 
ever,  no  reason  why  Protestantism  should  not  establish  a 
strong  self-supporting  evangelical  church  in  Mexico.  The 
facts  and  statistics  which  follow  can  give  but  an  inadequate 
idea  of  our  influence  upon  the  thought  and  life  of  the 
Republic.  Not  the  least  of  our  influences  is  that  upon  the 
Church  of  Rome,  which  has  learned  to  blush  for  its  misdeeds 
in  Mexico  and,  as  usual,  to  deny  the  record  of  history. 
Protestantism  has  not  failed  in  Mexico. 

EVANGELICAL  MISSIONS. 

The  war  with  Mexico  opened  the  way  for  the 
The  Bible  introduction  of  the  Bible.  An  edition  of  the 

Scriptures  in  Spanish  had  just  been  issued  in 
the  United  States.  Mr.  Norris,  an  agent  of  the  American 
Bible  Society,  accompanied  our  army  and  distributed  many 
copies.  The  success  of  our  arms  increased  the  curiosity  of 
many  to  see  the  Book  to  which  American  prosperity  was  so 
often  attributed.  Among  these  early  seekers  after  truth 
were  some  priests.  After  the  departure  of  the  Americans, 
the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  collected  and  burned  all  the 
copies  of  the  Bible  they  could  find.  Many,  however,  es¬ 
caped  destruction.  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  Butler  speaks  of  a  visit 
which  he  made  in  1874  to  a  cave  in  a  deep  gorge  of  the 
mountains  near  Mexico  City  where  years  before  a  little  com¬ 
pany  of  devout  Mexicans  had  secretly  gathered  to  read  the 
Word  of  God.  The  old,  well-worn  Bibles  of  that  day  are 
already  objects  of  peculiar  veneration.  In  i860  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Bible  Society  opened  work  in  Matamoros  ;  in  1864  in 
Monterey  ;  and  in  1879  in  Mexico  City,  with  colporteurs  in 
all  parts  of  the  Republic.  The  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  began  work  in  1864.  In  the  last  twenty-five  years 
there  have  been  put  into  circulation  in  various  ways 
nearly  1,000,000  copies  of  Bibles,  Testaments  and  por¬ 
tions  of  the  Scriptures.  All  over  Mexico  there  are  groups 
of  Bible  readers  weary  of  Rome  and  eager  for  the  gospel. 


l6  HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 

The  first  formal  mission  work  in  behalf  of 
Pioneer  Mexico  was  done  by  Miss  Melinda  Rankin. 

Workers  Her  simple  story  “  Twenty  Years  in  Mexico  ” 

bears  striking  testimony  to  the  providence  of 
God  in  the  choice  of  instruments  for  His  work.  This  heroine, 
single-handed,  made  her  first  approaches  in  the  border  town 
of  Brownsville,  Texas.  There  she  started  a  school  which  was 
maintained  until  the  era  of  our  Civil  War.  In  1864  Miss 
Rankin  crossed  to  Matamoros.  In  1865  she  raised  $1500  in 
the  United  States  by  personal  appeal.  This  money  was 
used  to  train  and  send  out  Mexican  colporteurs  under  her 
personal  direction.  In  1866  she  made  Monterey  the  centre 
of  her  operations.  As  Miss  Rankin  was  a  Presbyterian  her 
labors  are  sometimes  looked  upon  as  the  beginning  of  our 
mission  work  in  Mexico.  About  1852,  Dr.  G.  M.  Prevost, 
who  had  first  come  to  Mexico  as  a  surgeon  in  the  American 
army,  located  in  Zacatecas,  where,  in  addition  to  his  medical 
practice,  he  began  gospel  work  in  and  around  the  city. 
This  work  was  afterward  taken  up  and  carried  on  by  our 
Presbyterian  Board. 

Miss  Rankin’s  work  is  also  intimately  connected  with 
the  beginning  of  Baptist  and  Episcopal  missions.  In  the 
autumn  of  1862  Rev.  James  Hickey  began  work  at  Mont¬ 
erey  as  an  independent  missionary  ;  he  opened  services  in 
March,  1863,  and  in  January,  1864,  organized  what  is 
claimed  to  be  the  first  evangelical  church  in  Mexico.  T.  M. 
Westrup,  who  was  ordained  as  pastor,  has  continued  in  the 
Baptist  mission  work  till  the  present  day  (1897),  although 
it  was  not  until  1870  that  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  undertook  his  support.  In  1864  Mr.  Hickey 
was  appointed  agent  of  the  A.  B.  S. 

In  1869  the  American  and  Foreign  Christian  Union  sent 
to  Mexico  City  Rev.  H.  C.  Riley,  pastor  of  a  Spanish  con¬ 
gregation  in  New  York.  He  drew  to  his  side  Francisco 
Aguilas,  a  former  Romish  ecclesiastic,  and  a  gifted  Domini¬ 
can  friar,  Manual  Aguas.  Many  who  were  alienated  from 
Rome  but  who  preferred  the  Episcopal  form  of  government 
and  worship  gathered  about  them  and  organized  the 
“Church  of  Jesus,”  with  Mr  Riley  as  bishop.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  the  Episcopal  Mission  in  Mexico. 

About  twenty  Boards,  Societies  and  inde- 
Socicties  Now  pendent  organizations  at  present  have  work  in 
Working  Mexico.  The  facts  and  figures  here  presented 

were  collected  by  Rev.  Dr.  John  W.  Butler  and 
read  before  the  First  (1888)  and  Second  (1897)  General 
Assembly  of  Christian  Workers  in  Mexico.  They  were 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


17 


made  as  accurate  as  possible  and  will  serve  to  give  an  idea 
of  the  extent  and  strength  of  Protestantism  in  Mexico,  after 
about  a  generation  of  aggressive  work. 

(1)  Presbyterians. — There  are  four  denominations,  name¬ 
ly,  Presbyterians,  North  ;  Presbyterians,  South  ;  Associate 
Reformed  Presbyterians,  South  ;  and  Cumberland  Presby¬ 
terians.  They  began  work  in  the  order  in  which  they  are 
named.  Our  Church  is  the  strongest  and  most  widely  ex¬ 
tended  ;  the  work  is  given  in  detail  further  on.  The  work 
of  the  Southern  Presbyterians  is  in  the  states  of  Tamaulipas 
and  Nuevo  Peon,  with  girls’  boarding-schools  in  Browns¬ 
ville  and  Linares.  The  work  of  the  Associate  Reformed 
began  in  Tampico,  ceded  by  our  mission,  and  is  located  in 
three  states.  Vera  Cruz,  Tamaulipas  and  S.  L-  Potosi.  The 
Cumberland  Brethren  have  work  in  Aguas  Calientes  and 
Guanajuato,  in  each  of  which  they  have  a  girls’  boarding- 
school. 

(2)  Baptist. — The  work  is  carried  on  by  two  societies, 
representing  the  Northern  and  Southern  Baptists.  Their 
work  is  widely  extended.  Mexico  City,  Guadalajara  and 
Saltillo  are  their  most  important  centres.  They  have  excel¬ 
lent  educational  institutions  in  Saltillo. 

(3)  Methodists. — Two  denominations,  the  M.E.,  North, 
and  the  Methodists,  South.  The  work  of  the  latter  is  most 
widely  extended  ;  their  theological  seminary  is  at  S.  L- 
Potosi  ;  their  girls’  boarding  school  is  at  Saltillo.  Mexico 
City  is  also  a  centre.  The  Northern  Methodists  have  a  com¬ 
pact,  well-organized  work,  own  the  finest  property,  espe¬ 
cially  in  Mexico  City  and  Puebla,  where  they  have  fine 
girls’  boarding  schools,  and  in  Puebla  a  theological  semi¬ 
nar}7.  In  Guanajuato  they  have  a  fully  equipped  medical 
mission  with  hospital  and  dispensaries. 

(4)  Congregationalists . — Their  chief  centres  are  Guada¬ 
lajara,  Chihuahua  and  El  Paso,  Texas,  where  their  train¬ 
ing  school  for  boys  is  located.  Their  girls’  schools  are  at 
Guadalajara  and  Chihuahua. 

(5)  Protestant  Episcopal. — In  1883  Bishop  Riley  resigned 
his  episcopal  office,  and  carried  on  independent  work  until 
his  death.  The  work  of  the  mission  is  at  present  directed  by 
a  counsellor  or  missionary  appointed  by  the  Episcopal  Church 
in  the  United  States.  Mexico  City  is  their  centre,  where 
they  also  have  a  school  for  girls. 

(6)  Friends  or  Quakers. — Their  principal  centres  are 
Matamoros  and  Victoria  in  the  state  of  Tamaulipas.  They 
are  noted  for  quiet  efficiency,  the  excellence  of  their  schools 


1 8  HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 

and  the  number  of  religious  and  educational  works  they 
have  published. 

(7)  Independents . — This  is  the  only  English  mission  work 
in  Mexico.  The  first  worker  was  Mr.  James  Pascoe,  who 
made  Toluca  his  centre  and  issued  many  tracts  and  large 
letter  wall  texts  which  he  scattered  all  over  Mexico.  The 
present  representative  is  Mr.  Harris,  who  has  a  press  in 
Orizaba  and  works  in  the  same  way.  He  is  supported  by 
voluntary  contributions  sent  from  England. 

(8)  Seventh  Day  Adventists . — They  have  a  sanitarium  and 
medical  mission  at  Guadalajara. 

The  work  of  the  Bible  Societies  has  already 
Union  been  referred  to  ;  there  is  also  a  Tract  Society 

Societies  in  Mexico  City  which  receives  annually  a  grant 

of  ^100  from  London.  Protestant  services  in 
English  are  held  in  Mexico  City  (three),  Pachuca,  S.  L. 
Potosi,  Guadalajara,  Chihuahua,  and  Monterey.  Thereisalso 
a  Union  Sunday-school  organization  which  meets  every  three 
years  and  a  United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor  which 
holds  annual  conventions.  Two  General  Assemblies  of  Chris¬ 
tian  Workers  have  been  held  and  a  notable  gathering  of  mis¬ 
sionaries  in  Toluca  in  1895  when  Mr.  Moody  was  present. 
The  last  Assembly  (1897)  recommended  the  appointment  of 
a  committee  to  revise  the  modern  Spanish  version  of  the 
Bible  on  which  Rev.  H.  B.  Pratt  has  spent  nearly  forty  years. 

There  are  six  mission  presses  which  report  having  issued 
109,000,000  pages  of  Christian  literature.  This  figure  prob¬ 
ably  does  not  represent  one-half  of  the  real  amount.  The 
total  value  of  mission  property  is  about  a  million  dollars. 

Nearly  all  our  missions  have  suffered  persecu- 
Martyrs  tion,  often  of  a  bloody  nature.  Not  far  from 

a  hundred  martyrs  have  fallen  in  these  fiery 
trials.  Their  names  form  our  honor  roll  and  the  memory  of 
their  courage  and  love  for  Christ  are  a  constant  incentive  to 
greater  activity. 

The  figures  given  in  the  following  table  may 
Statistics  seem  dry  reading.  It  is  true  they  canhot 

adequately  portray  all  that  has  been  done  and 
suffered  for  Mexico’s  evangelization  ;  still  a  quickened  imagi¬ 
nation  can  see  in  every  congregation,  a  lighthouse  of  truth  ; 
in  every  tract  and  paper,  a  leaf  from  the  tree  of  life  ;  in  every 
worker,  a  herald  of  salvation  ;  and  in  every  convert,  a  living 
witness  to  the  power  of  redeeming  grace.  Thus  viewed 
these  figures  are  indeed  eloquent  and  cause  for  devout  thank¬ 
fulness  ! 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


19 


^Latest  Statistics  of  Evangelical  Missions. 


Organizations  at  work .  2r 

Ordained  men .  62 

Laymen  (8  medical) .  18 

Missionaries’  wives .  64 

Other  women  workers  (4  medical) .  66 

Mexicans,  men  and  women . 547 

Stations .  98 

Outstations .  434 

Communicants .  20,769 

Adherents .  17,000 

Day-schools .  148 

Pupils .  7,073 

Higher  schools .  18 

Students .  247 

Hospitals  and  dispensaries .  4 


THE  PRESBYTERIAN  MISSION. 

In  1872  our  General  Assembly  voted  to  open  work  in 
Mexico,  and  on  September  23  of  the  same  year  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  Thomson,  Phillips  and  Pitkin,  with  their  wives, 
sailed  from  New  York.  They  went  direct  to  Mexico  City 
where  they  found  a  large  body  of  Mexican  believers  of  anti- 
prelatical  convictions  who  formed  some  nine  independent 
congregations.  Most  of  these  early  workers  joined  our  own 
or  some  other  mission,  and  many  have  long  since  gone  to 
their  reward.  One,  Rev.  Arcadio  Morales,  is  still  with  us 
and  active  as  pastor  and  evangelist.  The  new  missionaries 
soon  organized  the  work,  opened  regular  services  and  began 
the  administration  of  the  sacraments. 

Mexico  City  has  been  the  centre  from  which  our  work  in 
southern  Mexico  has  radiated  ;  in  the  north  the  centres  were 
Zacatecas,  Monterey  (later  Saltillo),  and  San  Luis  Potosi. 

MISSION  ORGANIZATION. 

At  first  there  were  two  missions,  but  in  1884  the  north¬ 
ern  and  southern  fields  were  united  into  three  Presbyteries — 
Zacatecas,  Mexico  City  and  the  Gulf,  under  the  Synod  of 
Pennsylvania. 

In  July,  1901,  the  Synod  of  Mexico  was  formed,  consist¬ 
ing  of  the  churches  of  our  own  Mission  and  those  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church.  This  Synod, 
with  four  presbyteries,  has  no  connection  with  any  ecclesias- 


*  These  figures  are  taken  from  the  Geography  aud  Atlasof  Protestant  Missions, 
by  Harlan  P.  Beach,  1903. 


20 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


tical  body  in  the  United  States.  The  American  missionaries 
are  members  of  it  on  the  same  footing  as  the  Mexican  pas¬ 
tors.  The  sole  aim  is  to  build  up  a  self-supporting  and  self¬ 
extending  Presbyterian  Church  of  Mexico.  They  have 
their  own  Board  of  Home  Missions,  which  supports  two 
evangelists  and  has  also  undertaken  work  in  the  state  of 
Chiapas.  All  the  money  for  this,  about  $1500,  is  raised  by 
the  Mexican  churches. 


FIELD  WORK. 

Population  360,000.  We  have  here  three 
Mexico  City  organized  congregations,  five  preaching  halls, 
six  day-schools,  the  Girls’  Normal  Boarding- 
School,  14  Christian  Endeavor  societies,  twelve  Sunday- 
schools,  including  one  in  the  National  prison,  Belem ;  and 
the  Press.  In  addition  to  three  paid  Mexican  workers,  there 
are  many  unpaid  preachers.  The  mission  owns  the  girls’ 
school  building  and  two  churches,  one  of  which,  Divino 
Salvador,  was  given  by  Mr.  Hutchinson.  The  people 
pay  the  pastor’s  salary,  the  rent  of  three  halls  and  all 
incidental  expenses.  Rev.  Hubert  W.  Brown  is  the  resident 
missionary. 

A  new  American  church  was  organized  in  1903  under 
Rev.  G.  W.  Chalfant,  D.  D.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev. 
Duncan  Brown,  D.  D.,  of  Arizona.  The  prospects  of  the 
church  seem  very  bright.  The  American  population  is  in¬ 
creasing  so  rapidly  that  such  churches  are  needed  in  many 
places. 

Services  are  held  in  six  towns  in  the  valley  of 
Federal  Mexico.  Chapels  are  owned  in  San  Andres, 

District  San  Eorenzo  and  Tizapan.  In  this  last  there 

can  still  be  seen  the  marks  of  bullets  fired  at 
the  congregation  when  work  was  begun. 

The  congregations  form  two  groups.  Ozumba 
State  of  and  four  out-stations  are  on  the  line  of  the 

Mexico  Interoceanic  R.  R.  at  the  base  of  Popocatepetl. 

Chapelsare  owned  in  Ozumba  and  Tepecoculco. 
In  the  Toluca  valley,  on  the  line  of  the  Mexican  National  R. 
R.,  we  have  work  in  Toluca,  capital  of  the  state,  and  three 
out-stations.  In  Almoloya  del  Rio,  where  we  now  have  a  day- 
school,  Don  Nicanor  Gomez  was  killed  by  a  Romish  mob 
when  services  were  opened. 

A  mountainous  state,  off  the  general  line  of 
Guerrero  travel.  The  Mexican,  Cuernavaca  and  Pacific 
R.  R.  is  in  process  of  construction  to  Chilpan- 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


21 


cingo  and  Acapulco.  In  1875,  on  invitation,  Mr.  Hutchinson 
visited  Acapulco  and  held  services  in  an  abandoned  chapel. 
The  congregation  was  attacked  and  many  killed.  Don 
Procopio  Diaz  was  severely  wounded  in  the  head,  and  lost 
two  fingers  from  one  hand.  The  work  has  never  been 
reopened.  Work  in  other  parts  of  state  was  continued  by 
P.  C.  Diaz,  Matilde  Rodriguez  and  Simon  Diaz.  In  1884, 
Rev.  J.  M.  Greene  visited  the  state  and  in  seven  weeks  estab¬ 
lished  thirteen  congregations,  organized  six  churches  and 
baptized  280  converts.  Persecution  has  broken  out  from 
time  to  time  and  in  1887  Rev.  Abraham  Gomez  was  killed 
at  Ahuacatitlan.  In  1894  Rev.  Win.  Wallace  took  up  his 
residence  in  Chilpancingo  where  the  mission  owns  property 
centrally  located.  Many  of  the  congregations  own  chapals. 
The  field  is  promising. 

Zitacuaro  is  called  the  “  heroic  ”  because  of  its 
Zitacuaro  brave  stand  for  liberty.  In  1877  Rev.  Hesi- 

quio  Forcada  entered  the  place.  Six  years 
previous  four  hundred  Bibles  and  many  tracts  had  been 
introduced  by  a  bookseller.  The  way  was  thus  prepared. 
Later  Rev.  Daniel  Rodriguez  made  Zitacuaro  his  place  of 
residence.  In  a  short  time,  within  a  radius  of  thirty-five 
miles  there  were  sixteen  congregations  with  an  enrollment 
of  five  hundred  members.  In  1889  Mr.  Brown  made  a 
visit  to  Huetamo  and  points  beyond.  He  found  Bible  readers 
everywhere.  In  1893  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  took  up  their 
residence  in  Zitacuaro,  and  carried  the  gospel  in  long  mission 
tours  as  far  as  the  Pacific.  Since  Mr.  Campbell’s  death  Mrs. 
Campbell  has  worked  in  Sombrerete  and  the  neighboring 
towns.  In  1896  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Vanderbilt  were  also  stationed  at 
Zitacuaro.  There  is  but  one  paid  Mexican  worker  in  this  ex¬ 
tensive  field.  The  mission  owns  property  iu  Zitacuaro,  Tux- 
pan  and  Jungapeo.  The  Michoacan  and  Pacific  R.  R.  reached 
Zitacuaro  in  1897. 

The  work  was  begun  by  Mr.  Hutchinson  and 
Vera  Cruz  extended  by  Revs.  Greene,  Brown  and  Boyce. 

Jalapa,  Misantla  and  Vera  Cruz  are  the  centres. 
Work  is  largely  in  the  ranches. 

A  Gulf  State,  isolated  and  hot.  Work  was 
Tabasco  begun  in  1883  by  Dr.  Greene  and  grew  rapidly. 

From  1893  to  1896  Rev.  C.  C.  Millar  made  San 
Juan  Bautista,  the  capital,  his  place  of  residence  Frontera, 
Paraiso  and  Comalcalco  are  other  principal  points.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Boyce  reside  at  Jalapa,  whence  long  trips  are  made 
through  the  state.  No  other  church  is  at  work  on  the 
Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec. 


22 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


First  visited  by  Rev.  Mr.  Phillips  ;  the  work 
Yucatan  was  organized  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Greene,  and  later 

directed  by  Mr.  Millar.  Merida,  the  capital, 
with  50,000  inhabitants,  is  the  centre.  Maxcanu  is  the  only 
out-station  ;  but  one  native  worker. 

Work  was  begun  by  Rev.  H.  C.  Thomson  from 
San  Luis  1873.  carried  on  by  Rev.  M.  E.  Beall  and  later 

Potosi  by  Rev.  C.  Scott  Williams,  who  was  also  given 

charge  of  the  Hidalgo  field,  a  mountainous  re¬ 
gion  where  we  have  six  congregations.  This  work  was  started 
by  Messrs.  Forcada  and  Salazar.  There  are  numerous  out- 
stations  around  San  Luis  Potosi ;  and  the  Huasteca  region 
offers  a  wide  field  for  new  work.  The  mission  owns  a 
chapel  in  S.  L-  Potosi.  The  city,  at  the  junction  of  the 
National  R.  R.  and  the  Tampico  branch  of  the  Central 
R.  R.,  is  growing  and  prosperous. 

This  work  was  begun  by  Dr.  G.  M.  Prevost, 
Zacatecas  whose  death  in  1896  was  deeply  lamented  by 
the  whole  mission.  Zacatecas  is  an  import¬ 
ant  mining  centre,  one  of  the  three  most  picturesque 
cities  in  America.  The  mission  owns  the  large  church 
of  San  Augustin.  The  field  has  an  extreme  length  of 
four  hundred  miles  and  reaches  over  into  the  states  of 
Durango  and  Coahuila.  There  are  some  thirty  congre¬ 
gations  and  preaching  places,  under  the  care  of  native 
workers.  Rev.  Luis  Amaya  deserves  special  mention  for 
his  pioneer  work  in  this  field  and  his  executive  ability  as  an 
organizer.  Revs.  Thomson  and  Phillips  and  many  others 
have  worked  in  this  field,  though  it  is  principally  identified 
with  Rev.  T.  F.  Wallace,  one  of  our  two  remaining  veteran 
missionaries.  Rev.  Charles  Petran  has  now  the  care  of  this 
field. 

This  embraces  our  work  in  the  states  of  Coa- 
Monterey  and  huila  and  Nuevo  Leon.  The  first  centre  was 
Saltillo  Monterey,  where  Miss  Rankin  began  the  work. 

Later  the  school  and  mission  residence  were 
transferred  to  Saltillo,  where  a  fine  property  is  owned,  includ¬ 
ing  chapel,  parsonage  and  school  building.  Both  points  are 
on  the  National  R.  R.  The  field  is  a  large  one  with  many 
out-stations,  most  of  which  are  on  the  line  of  the  railroads 
that  intersect  the  field.  Rev.  Dr.  Thomson  was  one  of  the 
first  workers,  followed  by  Revs.  Boyce  and  Beall.  The  mis¬ 
sionary  in  charge  is  Rev.  Wm.  Wallace. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


23 


EDUCATIONAL  WORK. 

This  embraces  a  theological  school  and  college,  two  girls’ 
normal  and  boarding-schools  and  many  day-schools. 

Students  for  the  ministry  were  taught  by  our 
College  first  missionaries  in  Mexico  City,  including 

Revs  Keil  and  Ogden  ;  later  a  school  was 
opened  at  Tlalpam  by  Revs.  Greene  and  Wilson.  Rev. 
H.  C.  Thomson  began  a  similar  work  in  Monterey  and  Sal¬ 
tillo.  In  1885  the  two  schools  were  united  and  removed  to 
S.  L,.  Potosi  under  Revs.  Thomson  and  Brown  ;  but  in  1887 
taken  to  Tlalpam.  The  school  was  closed  from  1894  to 
1897,  when  it  was  reopened  in  Coyoacan,  a  suburb  of 
Mexico  City,  under  the  care  of  Revs.  C.  C.  Millar  and 
H.  W.  Brown.  Mr.  H.  B.  Jacobs  of  Chicago  gave  land  in 
a  central  situation,  and  by  other  gifts  several  buildings  have 
been  erected.  A  beautiful  stone  chapel,  a  memorial  gift 
from  Miss  McMurtrie  of  Pennsylvania,  will  seat  three  hun¬ 
dred.  Additional  dormitories  and  class-rooms  are  needed 
for  the  increasing  numbers.  Mr.  Robert  A.  Brown  was  sent 
out  in  1903  to  take  charge  of  the  college  department.  There 
are  now  forty  students,  and  the  fifty  graduates  are  doing 
good  service. 

The  Monterey  or  Saltillo  School  grew  out  of 
Girls’  Schools  Miss  Rankin’s  work  in  Monterey,  and  was 
more  formally  organized  by  Misses  Abbie  and 
Mary  Cochran  in  1879.  In  1890  it  was  removed  to  Saltillo, 
a  more  healthful  locality,  where  it  has  a  fine  building  and 
grounds.  Boarding  pupils  number  sixty-three,  with  fifty 
day  pupils.  Miss  Jennie  Wheeler  is  in  charge. 

The  day-school  started  by  Mr.  Hutchinson 
Mexico  City  was  made  a  boarding-school  in  1882,  under 
School  care  of  Misses  Snow  and  Fatimer,  and  later  Miss 

Disosway.  In  1887  Miss  Bartlett  became  prin¬ 
cipal,  and  in  1889  Miss  Ella  De  Baun  became  assistant.  In 
1897  Mrs.  H.  W.  Brown  was  in  charge  until  the  newly- 
appointed  missionaries,  Misses  Browning  and  McDermid, 
could  take  charge.  The  boarding  pupils  number  forty, 
which  taxes  the  capacity  of  the  house  to  the  utmost.  There 
is  a  flourishing  primary  department.  The  graduates  of  both 
schools  are  employed  in  many  mission  day-schools  and  are 
also  in  demand  to  teach  in  public  schools  in  many  parts  of 
the  Republic. 

From  1S84  to  1886  Miss  A.  M.  Prevost  had  a 
Day-Schools  day-school  in  Zacatecas  and  Miss  M.  Wilma 
Jacobs  (Mrs.  Brown)  a  similar  school  in  Fres- 


24 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


nillo.  At  present  all  of  our  day-schools  (26)  are 
taught  by  Mexican  teachers,  many  of  whom  are  graduates 
of  our  two  normal  schools.  Religious  instruction  is  given 
in  all  our  schools  and  they  are  an  important  element  in  the 
propaganda. 

THE  PRESS. 

In  1883  Rev.  J.  M.  Greene  secured  funds  and  bought 
our  present  Press  plant.  Rev.  P.  C.  Diaz  had  previously 
used  a  small  press  of  his  own,  on  which  tracts,  a  hymn-book 
piepared  by  Mr.  Hutchinson,  and  for  six  months  a  Child’s 
Paper,  were  printed-  Rev.  H.  C.  Thomson  also  published 
La  Anlorcha  at  Zacatecas  for  a  short  time.  In  January, 
1885,  the  publication  of  El  Faro  (“The  Lighthouse’’) 
began,  together  with  S.S.  lesson  helps  and  tracts.  At 
present  illustrated  S.S.  cards  are  also  printed.  A  number  of 
books  have  also  been  prepared  and  published  under  the 
direction  mainly  of  Revs.  Greene,  Thomson  and  Brown. 
Miss  Bartlett  edited  the  last  edition  of  our  hymn-book, 
which  is  issued  by  the  American  Tract  Society,  whose  help 
has  always  been  a  great  benefit  to  the  work.  In  1902  land 
was  bought  and  suitable  buildings  erected  through  the  gen¬ 
erous  assistance  of  Mrs.  Lanier  of  New  York,  so  that  the 
Press  is  now  comfortably  accommodated.  From  1894-96 
Rev.  J.  G.  Woods  wTas  business  manager.  The  present 
directors  are  Revs.  Hubert  W.  Brown  and  Plutarco  Arellano. 
Since  1885  over  77,000,000  pages  of  religious  literature  have 
been  issued.  Our  Press  is  an  agency  for  good,  the  power  of 
which  cannot  be  overestimated.  The  printed  page  can 
penetrate  where  the  missionary  often  cannot  enter  ;  it  has 
done  pioneer  work  all  over  Mexico.  El  Faro ,  with  3500 
subscribers,  is  of  great  use  in  all  our  Spanish-speaking  mis¬ 
sions. 

There  is  abundant  reason  to  thank  God  and  continue  the 
work  which  He  has  so  signally  guided  and  blessed  since  its 
inception.  Our  labors  should  be  continued  until  a  self- 
supporting  native  church  is  ready  to  carry  on  every  depart¬ 
ment  of  our  present  propaganda. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO 


25 


Missionaries  in  Mexico,  1 873- 1 904. 


*Died  while  connected  with  the  Mission.  Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  Mexico. 


Allen,  Miss  E.  P.,  1872-1876 

Bartlett,  Miss  A.  M.,  1886-1896 

Beall,  Rev.  M.  E.,  1883-1892 

*Beall,  Mrs.,  1883-1885 

Beall,  Mrs.  (Miss  M.  E. 

Cochrane),  1879-1892 

Boyce,  Rev.  Isaac,  1884 
Boyce,  Mrs.,  1884 

Brown,  Rev.  H.  W. ,  1884 

Brown,  Mrs.  (Miss  M. 

W.  Jacobs),  1883 

Brown,  Robert  A.,  1903 

Browning,  Miss  C.  B.,  1897 
Burdick,  Miss  D.  G.,  1883-1884 

^Campbell,  Rev.  C.  D.,  1893-1899 
Campbell,  Mrs.,  1893 

Cochran,  Miss  A.  D.,  1879-1882 
Coopwood,  Mrs.  E.,  1884-1885 

DeBaun,  Miss  Ella,  1889-1897 
*De  Jesi,  Dr.  L.  M.,  1882-1884 

De  Jesi,  Mrs.,  1882-1884 

*Disosway,  Miss  V.  A.,  1886-1888 
Elliott,  Miss  Mabel,  1887-1890 
Forbes,  Miss  M.  G.,  1877-1880 

Greene,  Rev.  Dr.  J  M.,  1881-1892 
Greene,  Mrs.,  1881-1884 

Haymaker,  Rev.E.M.,  1884-1887 
Haymaker,  Mrs.,  1884-1887 
Hennequin,  Miss  L. 

H.  W.,  1877-1881 

Hutchinson,  Rev. 


M.  N.,  1872-1880 

Hutchinson,  Mrs  ,  1872-1880 

*Irwin,  Rev.  R.  D,  1887-1888 

Irwin,  Mrs.,  1887-1888 

Johnson,  Miss  Edna  1892-1903 

Johnson,  Rev.  George,  1896-1902 

Johnson,  Mrs.  1896-1902 

Keil,  Rev.  A.  P.,  1879-1883 

Keil,  Mrs.,  1879-1883 

Latimer,  Miss  L.  M.,  1881-1883 


*Leason,  Miss  M.  E.,  1876-1877 

McDermid,  Miss  Mary,  1897 
McFarren,  Miss  Kate,  1883-1885 
McKnight.Miss  M.H.,  1886-1887 
Millar,  Rev.  C.  C.,  1893 

Millar,  Mrs.,  1895 

Ogden,  Rev.  Rollo,  1882-1883 
Ogden,  Mrs.,  1882-1883 

Petran,  Rev.  Charles,  1900 
Petran,  Mrs.  1900 

Phillips,  Rev.  M.,  1872-1881 

Phillips,  Mrs.,  1872-1881 

Pitkin,  Rev.  P.  H.,  1872-1873 

Polhemus,  Rev.  I.  H.,  1879-1881 
Polhemus,  Mrs.,  1879-1881 

Prevost,  Miss  A.  M.,  1884-1886 

Semple,  Rev.  W.  H.,  1896 
Semple,  Mrs.,  1899 

Shaw,  Rev.  Harvey,  1882-1883 
Shaw,  Mrs.,  1882-1883 

Snow,  Miss  F.  C.  (Mrs. 

H.  P.  Hamilton,  A. 

B.  S.),  1S81-1886 

*Stewart,  Rev.  D.  J.,  1875-1899 

Stewart,  Mrs.,  1881-1899 

Thomson,  Rev.  Dr. 

H.  C.,  1872-1892 

^Thomson,  Mrs.,  1872-1892 

Vanderbilt,  Rev.W.E.,  1896 
Vanderbilt,  Mrs. ,  1896 

Wallace,  Rev.  Dr. T.F.,  1878 
Wallace,  Mrs.  T.  F.,  1878 

Wallace,  Rev.  Wm.,  1889 
Wallace,  Mrs.  Wm.,  1894 
Ward,  Miss  Fannie,  1885-1887 
Wheeler,  Miss  Jennie,  1889 
Williams, Rev.C  Scott,  1892 
Williams,  Mrs.,  1893 

Wilson,  Rev.  S.  T.  1882-1884 
Woods,  Rev.  J.  G..  1892-1896 

Woods,  Mrs.,  1892-1896 


Stations,  1904. 

City  of  Mexico  :  occupied  in  1872.  Missionaries — Rev.  Hubert  W. 
Brown  and  Mrs.  Brown,  Rev.  C.  C.  Millar  and  Mrs.  Millar,  Rev. 
Walter  H.  Semple  and  Mrs.  Semple,  Rev.  W.  E.  Vanderbilt  and  Mrs. 
Vanderbilt,  Mr.  R.  A.  Brown,  Miss  Clara  B.  Browning,  Miss  Mary  Mc¬ 
Dermid,  Rev.  Arcadio  Morales. 

Zacatecas  :  occupied  1873.  Missionaries — Rev.  Charles  Petran  and 
Mrs.  Petran,  Mrs.  C.  D.  Campbell. 

San  Luis  Potosi  :  occupied  in  1873.  Missionaries — Rev.  C.  S.  Wil¬ 
liams  and  Mrs.  Williams. 


26 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


Saltillo  :  occupied  in  1884.  Missionaries — Rev.  T.  F.  Wallace, 
D.  D.,  and  Mrs.  Wallace,  Rev.  William  Wallace  and  Mrs.  Wallace, 
Miss  Jennie  Wheeler. 

Zitacuaro  :  occupied  in  1893.  In  charge  of  Rev.  W.  E.  Vander¬ 
bilt. 

Chilpancingo  :  occupied  in  1894.  In  charge  of  Rev  W.  H.  Semple. 

Jalapa  :  occupied  in  1897.  Missionaries — Rev.  Isaac  Boyce  and 
Mrs.  Boyce. 

146  Out-Stations. 


Statistics. 


Missionaries . . —  25 

Pastors  and  preachers,  Mexican .  45 

Other  workers,  Mexican .  36 

Students  for  ministry,  Mexican .  23 

Churches .  45 

Communicants .  3,902 

S.  S.  Scholars .  1  941 

Schools .  .  29 

Students .  638 


Books  of  Reference. 

About  Mexico.  Past  and  Present.  H.  M.  Johnson.  $1.50. 
Appleton’s  Guide  to  Mexico.  Latest  Edition.  $2  00. 

Aztec  Land.  M.  M.  Ballou.  Boston,  1890.  #1.50. 

Conquest  of  Mexico.  W.  H.  Prescott. 

Face  to  Face  with  the  Mexicans.  F.  C.  Gooch. 

Life  in  Mexico.  Madame  Calderon.  Boston,  1843. 

Mexican  Guide.  Janvier.  Last  Edition.  $ 2.00 . 

Mexico.  A.  F.  Bandelier.  $5.00. 

Mexico  and  its  Religions.  R.  A.  Wilson.  $1.75. 

Mexico  in  Transition.  Wm.  Butler.  Hunt  &  Eaton,  1S92.  $2.00. 

Mexico  and  United  States.  Abbott.  1869 

Mexico  To-day.  Thomas  N.  Brocklehurst.  London,  1883. 

Native  Religions  of  Mexico  and  Peru.  Dr.  R.  Reville.  1884. 
Notes  on  Mexico.  M.  Romero.  1898. 

Old  Mexico  and  Her  Lost  Provinces.  W.  H.  Bishop.  $2  00. 

Our  Next-door  Neighbor,  Mexico.  G.  Haven.  $3.50. 

Popular  History  of  Mexican  People.  H.  H  Bancroft. 
Recollections  of  Mexico.  Waddy  Thompson.  1846. 

Sketches  of  Mexico.  J.  W.  Butler.  Hunt  &  Eaton.  1894.  fr.co. 
Story  of  Mexico.  Susan  Hale.  $1.50. 

The  Awakening  of  a  Nation.  C.  F.  Lummis.  1898. 

Through  the  Heart  of  Mexico.  J.  N.  McCarty. 

Travels  in  Mexico.  F.  A.  Ober  $3.75. 

Twenty  Years  in  Mexico.  Melinda  Rankin.  $1.25. 

Note. — Mrs.  Calderon’s  book  gives  a  good  idea  of  Mexico  fifty 
years  since.  She  was  a  devout  Catholic  and  wife  of  the  first  Spanish 
Minister  to  Mexico.  Dr.  Wm.  Butler’s  book  gives  a  good  idea  of  the 
struggle  for  religious  and  political  liberty  ;  and  Dr.  J.  W.  Butler’s 
“  Sketches  ”  brings  together  in  popular  form  a  variety  of  material. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  GUATEMALA 


27 


GUATEMALA. 

Guatemala  is  the  most  western  of  the  states  of 
The  Country  Central  America.  Its  area  is  40,777  square 
miles  ;  about  five  times  that  of  New  Jersey. 
The  surface  of  the  country"  is  very  broken.  The  greater 
part  is  elevated  five  thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  On  the 
Pacific  Coast  there  is  a  strip  of  flat  land  thirty  miles  wide. 
To  this  succeed  the  lofty  coast  mountains,  many  of  them 
active  or  extinct  volcanoes,  with  their  noble  peaks  Pacaya, 


28 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


Agua,  and  Fuega.  The  interior  is  a  succession  of  moun¬ 
tains  and  valleys.  Rivers  and  streams  are  numerous  ;  those 
on  the  western  side  are  the  shorter,  owing  to  the  abrupt 
descent.  In  the  rainy  season  they  are  dashing  torrents,  and 
add  much  to  the  diversity  of  the  landscape.  Gold,  silver, 
copper  and  iron  are  found  in  abundance. 

The  climate  is  fine.  Because  of  the  elevation  of  the 
country,  tropical  diseases  are  almost  unknown.  Even  the 
best  insurance  companies  do  not  charge  any  extra  premiums 
for  residence  there.  The  coast,  though  not  so  salubrious  as 
the  interior,  is  far  less  unhealthy  than  is  commonly  supposed. 
The  temperature  in  the  capital  is  almost  the  same  through¬ 
out  the  year.  The  beginning  of  January  is  like  a  warm  June 
in  Central  New  York.  There  is  a  rainy  season  from  May  to 
October.  The  fertility  of  the  soil  is  such  that  in  many 
localities  three  crops  of  corn  are  raised  annually,  and  good 
crops  of  grass  are  gathered  every  few  weeks.  Farming  is 
never  suspended.  Almost  anything  in  the  vegetable  king¬ 
dom  will  thrive.  The  staple  is  coffee,  though  many  capital¬ 
ists  are  turning  their  attention  to  the  raising  of  rubber.  For 
consumption  in  the  country,  sugar,  good  rice,  fair  cotton, 
wool,  and  a  mild  kind  of  tobacco  are  produced. 

The  census  of  1900  gives  a  population  of  1,647,- 
The  People  300.  Of  these  60  per  cent,  are  pure-blooded 

Indians.  There  are  about  200,000  whites, 
mostly  of  Spanish  descent,  and  the  rest  are  mestizos  and 
negroes.  The  Indians,  as  a  rule,  live  by  themselves,  and 
are  much  superior  to  those  of  our  country.  The  civil 
authorities  immediately  governing  them  are  commonly 
chosen  from  their  own  race. 

The  coast  of  this  region  was  discovered  by 
History  Columbus  in  1502  ;  the  country  was  made  a 

Spanish  dependency  in  1524,  and  was  erected 
into  a  captain-generalcy  in  1527  by  Charles  V.  In  1821 
Guatemala  threw  off  the  yoke  of  Spain,  and  in  1823  became 
a  part  of  the  Central  American  Federal  Republic.  In  i839 
the  territory  of  the  latter  was  diminished  by  the  secession  of 
Honduras,  and  in  1851  Guatemala  separated  from  the  con¬ 
federation  as  an  independent  republic.  By  proclamation  of 
President  Barrios,  March  15th,  1873,  religious  liberty  was 
guaranteed  to  all,  and  during  his  administration  trade  and 
general  prosperity  greatly  increased.  In  1884  war  broke 
out  between  Guatemala  and  San  Salvador,  in  consequence 
of  a  decree  from  President  Barrios  for  the  union  of  all  the 
Central  American  States.  At  the  outset  of  the  conflict  the 
President  was  killed.  His  successors  have  pursued  the  same 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  GUATEMALA 


29 


enlightened  policy.  In  1890  war  was  again  declared  with 
San  Salvador,  but  after  a  few  months  of  active  hostilities, 
peace  was  proclaimed. 

Condition  of  c^es  they  enjoy  most  of  the  blessings 

the  Pco  le  of  civilization.  Into  the  capital  water  has  been 
^  introduced.  The  streets  are  wide  and  paved 
with  stone,  and  lighted  with  gasoline  lamps.  Good  order  is 
maintained  by  a  fine  body  of  police.  The  cleanliness  of  the 
city,  the  peaceable  character  of  the  people,  the  excellence  of 
the  public  buildings,  which  are  broad  and  low,  that  they 
may  withstand  earthquakes,  are  all  sources  of  amazement  to 
the  foreigner.  There  are  two  railroads  from  the  capital  to 
the  Pacific  Coast,  and  a  line  is  nearly  completed  to  Puerto 
Barrios  on  the  Atlantic  side. 

Education ,  though  improving,  is  most  imperfect.  In  the 
capital  only  one-fifth  of  the  people  can  read.  In  the  country 
at  large  the  proportion  is  as  low  as  one-tenth. 

Nor  can  a  more  favorable  report  be  made  as  to  morals. 
Drunkenness  is  fearfully  prevalent  among  the  lower  classes, 
especially  among  the  Indians.  The  social  corruption  is  as¬ 
tounding.  The  same  picture  is  presented  that  we  have  in 
the  first  chapter  of  Romans. 

Roman  Catholicism  is  and  has  been  the  one 
Religion  religion.  In  1883  it  was  estimated  that  in  the 

capital  there  were  not  fifteen  actual  communi¬ 
cants  of  Protestant  Churches.  As  in  Mexico,  however,  so 
here.  Romanism  has  sunk  even  lower  than  the  people 
whom  it  has  degraded.  The  result  is  that  they  have  lost 
confidence  in  their  Church.  Nothing  is  done  to  supply  the 
spiritual  void,  and  it  is  assumed  that  a  purely  secular  educa¬ 
tion  is  the  only  need  of  the  country.  Hence,  the  educated 
classes  are  drifting  into  all  forms  of  infidelity,  while  the  con¬ 
dition  of  the  people  at  large,  says  Mr.  Hill,  “  is  that  of  gross 
ignorance  of  what  Christianity  really  is.’'  In  the  words  of 
an  intelligent  Romanist  from  Europe,  “  they  are  not  Catho¬ 
lics,  but  heathen.” 

Mission  work  in  Guatemala  has  thus  far  been 
carried  on  exclusively  by  the  Presbyterian 
Board.  Early  in  1882  their  attention  was  for 
the  second  time  called  to  this  field.  Assurances  were  given 
of  the  sympathy  of  President  Barrios  with  Protestant  Mis¬ 
sions.  The  Jesuits  had  been  expelled,  and  religious  liberty 
prevailed  in  the  republic.  These  facts,  and  the  consideration 
that  in  the  whole  country  there  was  not  one  Protestant  ser¬ 
vice,  while  in  the  capital  were  many  Europeans  and  Ameri¬ 
cans  who  might  be  expected  soon  to  make  an  English  service 


Mission 

Work 


3° 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


self-sustaining,  led  to  the  occupation  of  the  field  by  the 
Board.  The  Rev.  John  C.  Hill  and  Mrs.  Hill  were  the  first 
missionaries  appointed.  They  reached  Guatemala  towards 
the  end  of  1882. 

The  plan  adopted  was  to  gather  an  Knglish-speaking  con¬ 
gregation  and  organize  a  Protestant  Church.  Services  were 
held  for  a  time  in  private  residences,  with  an  increase  of 
attendance  from  week  to  week.  A  house  near  the  centre  of 
the  city  was  rented  from  the  President  at  a  nominal  sum, 
and  a  committee  of  gentlemen  solicited  contributions  towards 
furnishing  it.  By  April,  1883,  the  new  missionaries  were 
fully  established,  and  were  encouraged  by  their  cordial  recep¬ 
tion.  A  Sunday-school  was  organized  and  was  attended  by 
the  children  of  the  President  and  by  others  in  high  positions. 
By  the  close  of  the  year  the  new  chapel  was  filled. 

Work  among  the  Spanish  was  taken  up  by  Mr.  Hill  in 
connection  with  Senor  Don  Louis  Canal,  a  licentiate  preacher 
from  Mexico.  The  ministrations  of  the  latter  attracted  large 
numbers  for  a  time. 

Both  the  English  and  the  Spanish  services  were  main¬ 
tained  with  good  results  until  Mr.  Hill’s  resignation  in  1886. 
His  place  was  filled  the  next  year  by  the  Rev.  E.  M.  Hay¬ 
maker,  from  the  Mexican  Mission,  who  had  the  advantage 
of  familiarity  with  Spanish.  A  chapel  was  built,  and  dedi¬ 
cated  in  1891,  with  many  marks  of  approval  from  the  Presi¬ 
dent  and  the  authorities.  Two  churches  were  organized  in 
1892,  one  of  Spanish- speaking  and  the  other  of  English- 
speaking  people.  In  1894  the  English  church  became  inde¬ 
pendent.  The  Spanish  church  is  well  attended,  and  not¬ 
withstanding  the  poverty  of  the  people  they  are  striving 
toward  self-support.  Services  are  held  in  different  quarters 
of  the  city. 

In  1902  Mr.  Haymaker’s  health  failed  and  he  was  forced 
to  resign.  Rev.  William  B.  Allison  and  Mrs.  Allison,  and 
Rev.  Walker  E.  McBath  went  out  in  1903.  Living  in  Gua¬ 
temala  is  very  expensive,  and  political  disturbances  and 
financial  depression  continuing  for  several  years  have  caused 
serious  difficulties. 

A  girls’  school  was  begun  in  1884  by  Miss  Hammond 
and  Miss  Ottaway.  It  was  prosperous  for  several  years,  but 
the  building  which  it  occupied  was  sold,  and  as  no  other 
could  be  secured  at  any  reasonable  expense,  the  school  was 
suspended  in  1891. 

A  school  for  boys,  began  in  1891,  has  attained  a  fair 
degree  of  success.  A  new  building  was  erected  in  1895. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  GUATEMALA 


31 


Quezaltenango  (Green-featlier-town),  the  second  city  of 
the  republic,  was  occupied  in  1898  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates. 
It  has  a  population  of  21,000  and  is  the  place  where  most  of 
the  coffee  plantation  owners  on  the  west  side  reside.  It  is 
an  important  centre  for  mission  work,  being  within  easy 
reach  of  about  twenty  towns  and  villages  with  an  aggregate 
population  of  over  20,000,  mostly  Indians.  In  1896  a  lot 
was  purchased  and  a  neat  church  and  parsonage  built,  largely 
with  funds  raised  on  the  field.  In  April,  1902,  the  town 
was  nearly  destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  with  great  loss  of 
life  and  property.  A  terrible  volcanic  eruption  followed  in 
October  which  ruined  the  rich  farms  and  plantations  around 
the  city.  These  calamities,  with  the  resulting  distress  and 
prostration  of  business,  interrupted  all  progress  for  a  time. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates  were  obliged  to  resign  by  failure  of 
health.  The  little  congregation  of  believers  held  together, 
maintaining  their  regular  services  as  they  best  could,  until  a 
native  pastor  could  be  sent  to  them.  Mr.  McBath,  who 
spends  much  time  here,  reports  that  the  town  is  reviving, 
and  the  outlook  is  hopeful.  An  outstation  was  opened  in 
1904  at  Retalhuleu,  forty  miles  to  the  south,  where  work  was 
begun  by  a  colporteur  of  the  Bible  Society  who  is  a  member 
of  our  Guatemala  City  Church. 

At  San  Augustin,  regular  work  was  begun  in  1895  under 
the  care  of  a  young  native  evangelist.  A  church  was  organ¬ 
ized  early  in  1896  with  twenty-five  members  and  many  more 
are  under  instruction.  San  Augustin  is  the  centre  of  a  large 
number  of  towns  and  villages  easily  accessible  and  contain¬ 
ing  a  population  of  from  50,000  to  60,000.  Services  are  held 
in  the  neighboring  towns. 

F  r  *•  Tours  through  the  country  by  Mr.  Haymaker 
Wtfrk  CIS IC  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates,  assisted  by  the  Gua¬ 
temalan  students,  have  attained  good  results. 
The  work  at  the  out-stations  has  grown  largely.  No 
church  but  our  own  has  ever  undertaken  work  in  Guatemala. 
Much  good  is  done  by  the  agents  of  the  American  and  Brit¬ 
ish  Bible  Societies,  who  are  untiring  in  circulating  the  Scrip¬ 
tures.  Many  have  learned  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  from 
these  books  without  openly  avowing  themselves  Protestants. 
The  Central  American  Mission  employs  an  evangelist  among 
the  Quichi  Indians,  and  the  Gospel  of  Mark  has  been  trans¬ 
lated  into  their  language.  These  colporteurs  and  evangelists 
are,  most  of  them,  men  who  have  been  trained  in  our  Mission. 

The  ignorance  and  superstition  of  the  populace,  incited 
by  the  priests,  often  find  expression  in  violence.  The 
preachers  and  converts  are  stoned  and  even  imprisoned  and 


32  HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  MISSIONS  IN  GUATEMALA 


beaten  like  the  early  apostles.  But  the  laws  secure  absolute 
religious  freedom,  and  the  authorities  can  usually  be  relied 
on  for  protection.  The  crying  need  is  for  men  and  means  to 
follow  up  the  beginnings  made  by  years  of  patient  labor. 
The  entire  mission  force,  American  and  Guatemalan,  is  but 
five  men  and  three  women.  Within  seventy-five  miles  of  the 
capital,  with  its  seventy-four  thousand  souls,  are  fifteen 
towns,  ranging  in  population  from  five  thousand  to  twenty- 
five  thousand,  and  as  accessible  to  the  truth  as  is  Philadel¬ 
phia,  and  yet  the  pure  gospel  is  seldom  even  named  in  one 
of  them.  In  a  country  like  ours,  in  which  there  is  already 
a  church  for  every  four  hundred  people,  are  there  not  some 
who  can  heed,  as  well  as  hear  the  call,  “  Come  over  into 
Guatemala  and  help  us  ?  ” 


Stations. 

Guatemala  City  :  60  miles  from  the  seaport  of  San  Jose  ;  occupied 
1882.  Missionaries — Rev.  Walker  E.  McBath  and  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
William  B.  Allison.  Out-station  :  San  Augustin. 

Quezaltenango  :  125  miles  northwest  from  Guatemala  City; 
occupied  1898.  Out-station  :  Retalhuleu. 


Missionaries  in  Guatemala,  1882-1904. 


Figures,  Term  of  Service  iu  the  Field. 


Allison,  Rev.  W.  B.,  1903 

Allison,  Mrs.,  1903 

Gates,  Rev.  W.  F.,  1893-1902 

Gates,  Mrs.,  1893-1902 

Hammond,  Miss  M.  L.  1884-1890 
Haymaker,  Rev.  E.M.,  1887-1903 
Haymaker,  Mrs.,  1887-1903 


Hill,  Rev.  John  C.,  1882-1886 

Hill,  Mrs.  John  C.,  1882-1886 

Iddings,  Rev.  D.  V.,  1889-1893 

Iddings,  Mrs.,  1889-1893 

McBath,  Rev.  W.  E.,  1903 

Ottaway,  Miss  Anna  E.  1884-1889 
Stimers,  Misslmogene  1888-1889 


Books  of  Reference. 

Central  America.  H.  H.  Bancroft.  3  v.  $4.50  each. 

Guatemala.  W.  T.  Brigham.  $5.00. 

In  and  Out  of  Central  America.  Frank  Vincent.  $2.00. 

Incidents  of  Travel  in  Central  America.  J.  L.  Stephens.  2  v.  $6.00. 
Stanford’s  Compendium  :  Central  America,  1901. 

States  of  Central  America.  E.  G.  Squier.  $4.00. 


